Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
But she knew she hadn’t.
How could she when she only had to remember it for her lips to tingle?
“Alyx’s right, though,” Fredericka remarked curiously. “You look seriously hot these days.”
“O-oh?”
“Are you guys getting back together?” Alyx asked bluntly.
“No!” But Anneke could feel her cheeks reddening as she spoke. When Fredericka and Alyx exchanged glances at her protest, which was admittedly a little too defensive, she cleared her throat and insisted in a firm, even tone, “Our divorce is still being processed.”
“Riiiiiiight.” But Alyx’s expression was dubious.
“These things take time!” Yes, she definitely sounded defensive. She turned to Fredericka, saying in a rush, “You know how these things are, Freddie. Tell her I’m not lying.”
“Divorce isn’t my specialty,” Fredericka hedged.
“But surely you understand how these things do take time, right?” Oh, yes, she definitely sounded more defensive now.
“Well.” The redhead cleared her throat. “If you really insist on my opinion—-”
Anneke gave her friend a vehement nod.
“I think the two of you are simply using the divorce proceedings as an excuse to turn a blind eye on certain things.”
“Things...like what?”
Things like being together all the time, Fredericka thought, having Marcus Ravelli hang out with the de Konighs, and being caught on camera entering the Italian billionaire’s hotel room in the middle of the night.
But out loud, all she said was, “Just things.” She waited and hoped for Anneke to pick it up from there, but when the Dutch heiress only shrugged, Fredericka once again exchanged looks with her cousin.
Should they push this or not?
For some time now, both of them had been privately worried about Anneke and her seemingly growing closeness to the husband she was trying to divorce. They might know next to nothing about the marriage, but what they did know was how broken their friend had been following its abrupt and disastrous end.
Fredericka waited until Anneke finished giving her order. As soon as the waiter left, she said quietly, “You know we’re never going to judge you, right?”
The urge to confess about the kiss had the words teetering on the edge of her tongue, but in the end Anneke could only shake her head. “There’s nothing to say.” Because, she realized sickly, whatever Fredericka had to say – she already knew.
And her inability to talk about the kiss was proof of it.
Marcus Ravelli, the man she had married – and the man who had broken her heart – had kissed her, and she had let it go. He had kissed her, and she hadn’t spoken a word about it to anyone.
Because she already knew what people would say, what people would think.
Some would think she was a fool. Others would want her to try again.
But she wanted none of those.
Right?
By the time the waiter returned with her order, Anneke had made up her mind. After taking a sip of her coffee, she heard herself ask Fredericka, “Could you do me a favor?”
“ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE not tired from your flight?” Marcus asked as they walked down the red carpet leading to the theater. The premiere they were attending was by an independent film production company Ravelli Holdings and DKE were considering investing in. He knew tonight was merely a business function as far as Anneke was concerned, but in his mind it was a date. He only didn’t think it necessary to say it out loud, having learned from his mistake.
“I’m really okay, but thank you for the concern.”
The too-polite tone had his dark eyes narrowing, but he let it pass even as he swiftly ran through the various reasons that could be behind Anneke’s sudden formality. It couldn’t be something he had done in the recent past, Marcus thought. He had spoken to her on the phone prior to her flight, and they had been fine.
So could it be something that happened more recently? He suddenly recalled her mentioning about meeting with her friends, and Marcus knew right away that was it. He also recalled the fact that Alyx Marshall could be a sharp-tongued, man-eating witch if she wanted to, and of course there was also Fredericka Spears, a hotshot attorney whom no one wanted to go up against in a courtroom.
An invisible noose seemed to slowly tighten around his neck as he considered the many ways either could cause trouble between him and Anneke.
And the worst thing about it was that they would do so because they were only looking after their friend, and how could he ever fault them for that?
At the end of the red carpet, the official photographer asked them to pose together for a shot, and when he felt Anneke stiffen at the request, the noose tightened around his neck.
As they took their seats inside the theater, Marcus turned to her slightly, intending to gradually ease his concerns into conversation.
But she beat him to it.